German former foreign minister tells Angela Merkel to ‘decide’ on equal marriage

Germany’s former foreign minister says Chancellor Angela Merkel should stop sitting on fence when it comes to equal marriage.

In an interview with German magazine Stern, Guido Westerwelle said it was time for Mrs Merkel to “decide” on what direction she would take on the issue.

Mr Westerwelle, who is in a civil partnership, said he hoped “the progress made during our term in government” would be completed in the German Chancellor’s third term, “namely the complete legal equality of same-sex partnerships and marriage.”

He said Germany had yet to achieve marriage equality, adding of Mrs Merkel: “Now she has to decide.”